Estefanny Davalos-Elizondo is a research geoscientist within the Thermal Energy Science and Technologies Group leading projects involving low-temperature geothermal resources. She has more than 10 years of experience in geothermal exploration and structural geology framework projects in North America and Africa. She is experienced in detailed geological mapping, structural geology analysis, characterization of fracture permeability, geochemistry of hot springs, building geothermal conceptual models, play fairway analysis, and geothermal drill targeting. She earned her doctorate from Oklahoma State University, focused on geothermal exploration of magma-poor continental rifts in the East African Rift System. She has also served as a staff scientist at the National Institute of Electricity and Clean Energies in Mexico and prior to that, she worked in the geothermal industry on exploration projects around Mexico.

Research Interests

Geothermal exploration

Structural geology

Geothermal conceptual model

Geothermal data and analysis

Play fairway analysis

Geochemistry of geothermal fluids

Slip and dilation tendency analysis

Education

Ph.D., Geology, Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University

B.S., Geology Engineering, Department of Earth Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Geology study abroad, Department of Earth Sciences, Georg-August Universität Göttingen

Professional Experience

Researcher III, Geoscience, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2023–Present)

Postdoctoral Researcher, Geoscience, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2022–2023)

Database Researcher, A&M Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. (2022)

Graduate Teaching Associate, Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University (2017–2021)

Research Scientist, National Institute of Electricity and Clean Energies (2016–2017)

Chief Exploration Geologist, Alternative Energies, Studies and Projects (2012–2016)

Associations and Memberships

Geological Society of America

Geothermal Rising

Featured Work

3D Structural Model and Slip-Dilation Tendency Analysis of the Chiweta Zone: Geothermal System Implications and Fault Reactivation Potential, Journal of African Earth Sciences (2023)

Structural Analysis of Fracture Networks Controlling Geothermal Activity in the Northern Part of the Malawi Rifted Zone From Aeromagnetic and Remote Sensing Data, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (2023)

Low-Temperature Geothermal Geospatial Datasets: An Example From Alaska, Stanford Geothermal Workshop (2023)

Medium to Low Enthalpy Geothermal Reservoirs Estimated From Geothermometry and Mixing Models of Hot Springs Along the Malawi Rift Zone, Geothermics (2021)

Assessment of the Fracture Networks Controlling Geothermal Fluids in the Northern Part of the Malawi Rifted Zone, EGU General Assembly 2021 vEGU21 (2021)

Structural Controls and Slip Tendency in the Chiweta Geothermal Zone: Northern Part of the Malawi Rift, Africa, Geothermal Resources Council Transactions (2019)

Awards and Honors

3rd Place E-week national competition hosted by the University of Southern California and sponsored by Chevron (2022)

2nd Place Baker Hughes/OSU Decarbonization Prize (2021)

1st Place Poster Award Recipient Geothermal Rising Conference (2021)

Graduate Teaching Award from the Boone Pickens School of Geology at Oklahoma State University (2020–2021)

Geology Graduate Student Association OSU, Autumn Research Symposium: Graduate Best Poster Award (2018)

Geothermal Resources Council Graduate Scholarship Award (2018)